British passport expired - should i get a new one?

[Brefugee]

Dual nationality now, living in the other (EU) country. My British passport has expired and I'm not sure if i should apply for a new one or if i should just travel on the EU one.

Generally I only return to the UK when i'm holidaying there, usually it's visiting family. Are there disadvantages to not renewing my British passport? Is it likely that I'll have problems entering the country (in terms of invasive or lengthly questioning about my motives to visit)?

If i had to return for an extended period for family reasons would that be a problem? My EU passport is in the top 10 of the Henley Passport list (as is the British one) but higher, so international travel is probably better in that respect. But I'm not sure if it would be better to renew now while it's been only a few months, rather than waiting years and it being a "new" passport application.

Also - I don't really want a blue one.

I don't think it matters - you've got legal ID from your host country that's valid for travel, the UK doesn't require you to enter the country on a British paper, you're fine without one. I have a vague recollection that the UK want you to send in all your passports when you renew your passport (though I have no idea how that's legally enforceable) so you might want to look into that first, because who knows how long they'll keep hold of them...

Although if you wanted to move back and rent somewhere/open a new bank account etc, that might all be easier in a post-Brexit if you have a UK passport to do it with. Do you have any other proof of UK citizenship?

I have an Irish one now and I have no intention of renewing my British passport when it expires in 2026. Not having a passport doesn't rob me of my citizenship and I can go wherever I want on my Irish one. They can shove their blue passports.

I have a vague recollection that the UK want you to send in all your passports when you renew your passport (though I have no idea how that's legally enforceable) so you might want to look into that first, because who knows how long they'll keep hold of them...

good point, thanks!

I don't think they can enforce that - your other passport is not their property, it's technically the property of the issuing state. I would under no circumstances send a non-UK passport to the U.K. passport authority, especially given potential COVID delays in processing passport applications.

OTOH I would consider whether you're likely to want a U.K. passport in the future - if you allow your passport to lapse for too long they might require an in-person appointment before issuing a new one. Considering whether to renew my son's expired U.K. passport for this reason (I won't be sending them his French passport; they don't know he has one!).

Your foreign passport will show your place of birth as the UK.

The USA requires its citizens to travel on their US passport when they enter the country.
Those not born in the US can get away with using their other passport ...

The UKs hostile environment is such that I'd have a UK passport to come and go

and YYY - one government has no right to hold the passports issued by another

I'd have a blue passport just to fuck with them (also dual Irish/UK citizen).
Incidentally, I'm old enough to have had one of the old UK Passports . This one is like a Lidl version of it. Cheap and nasty looking. Wrong colour and size. Probably as useful as a more expensive nationalist ego stroking one.

I have my expired old-style passports and am toying with the idea of making them into a cover for a new one, if i decide to get one

Maybe they just want a photocopy of your other one. I must admit, I would get as many passports as possible. You don't want to have to spend your time justifying yourself if you want to come and go. You cannot tell what may happen in the future. Don't look at it as a statement. Is there utility to it? If you think there is, get a nice cover for it if you must.